Tuesday, January 03, 2012

This is Drambuie, my version of the short sleeved dolman style tops I'd been seeing in the stores this fall. I do love them, but as a shorter, curvier kind of person, I wanted something with a little more shape and a little less batwing.

Drambuie has the short sleeves and soft lines of those tops, but with a little more tailoring - keeping a slightly dropped sleeve and traditional waist shaping. Details along the shoulder draw the eye up and an elegant cable down one side creates a flattering line down. I really do love this cable, and thought the lines of it were perfect for an offset motif!

The short sleeves look great with a fitted tee underneath, and the length is also perfect for a pop of color peeking out below.

Simple construction allows you to alter the proportions easily. Directions are in the pattern to adjust the bust, waist or hips as necessary, and making this any length that suits your body is a breeze.

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The yarn is Canopy Worsted, by the Fibre Company. It's a mix of alpaca, merino and bamboo, and it's as soft as that sounds like. It's made with a kettle dyeing process which creates a unique haze of color in the yarn that's a little unexpected and really beautiful. The subtle undertone of burgundy/purple in this Yerba Mate had me from the beginning, and truth be told, I actually knit up a basic cardigan of the same yarn while designing this top, so I have two sweaters of the same exact stuff :-).

If you plan on subbing yarn, I definitely suggest staying with something light and drapey. A solid, heather or soft tweed would work well. Nothing too dense or wooly, and nothing too heavy. It could possibly even be worn as a tee shirt if you used a delicate summer yarn with linen or a very light cotton.

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The pattern is available for purchase on the sidebar above, or on Ravelry for $6.50 US.